PARIS (AP) — The Prime Minister of France strongly denounced on Monday the recent actions of U.S. President Donald Trump towards Volodymyr Zelenskyy, labeling it as a shocking display of “brutality” that seemed designed to embarrass the leader of Ukraine. Prime Minister François Bayrou did not hold back his criticism during a parliamentary discussion on Ukraine, a departure from the more diplomatic approach taken by French President Emmanuel Macron following the contentious meeting in the White House on Friday. Bayrou’s remarks deviated from the usual cordiality that characterizes French-American relations.
He described the events that transpired in the Oval Office as a spectacle of aggression and humiliation, clearly intended to pressure President Zelenskyy into submission through threats. “In the White House’s Oval Office on Friday night, the world witnessed a distressing scene filled with brutality and a deliberate attempt to belittle, all with the objective of coercing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy into capitulation,” Bayrou remarked. The Prime Minister went on to express his admiration for Zelenskyy’s resilience in the face of such pressure.
Bayrou’s comments were met with a standing ovation from lawmakers in the National Assembly, signaling their support for his strong stance on the matter.
